Five ways forward on homelessness

Modern-day homelessness in America is a quagmire, a product of various forces woven into our society so tightly that no single cause can be identified as its creator -- unemployment, mental health, addiction, war, an overwhelmed foster care and health care system, domestic violence, human trafficking, bad choices, circumstance.

Thousands of these stories, each unique and many without logic, live and survive on our streets every night. Individuals and families are forced to camp in church parking lots, in cars, under bridges and in the shadows of residential neighborhoods from the foothills of Mount Hood to the suburbs of Beaverton, from the doorways of Portland to rest stops along Interstate 84.

Our region is faced with not only a crisis of the heart, but also an unsustainable approach in how we can truly end what we know as homelessness. The good news is that the simplest answer is housing. The question is how to get people who are becoming homeless each day into a stable living environment when resources are scarce.

Here are some key things that must happen before we can talk frankly about actually ending homelessness.

Washington, D.C.: Without federal relief for housing, we're fighting a losing battle. During the past three decades, federal funding has declined dramatically, shifting the burden of the affordable housing stock to local governments and the nonprofit sector.

How can this change? Our elected officials, both in the U.S. House and Senate, must prioritize affordable housing as they do many vital issues such as transportation, the environment and education. They must also give the Department of Housing and Urban Development the necessary tools to get the job done. Currently, Portland and many communities around the state are asked to end homelessness under the auspices of federally mandated programs with few dollars in tow. The first step is to assure passage of the National Housing Trust Fund, which would inject more than $1 billion into helping local communities.

The state of Oregon: The biggest hurdles for affordable housing and homeless services at the state level are party politics. Elected officials representing many districts are facing unemployment rates nearing 15 percent, leaving many working Oregonians without access to fair and decent housing. Historically, it's many of the officials from these same districts who have voted against things such as a document recording fee and other state laws that help bring affordable housing dollars and revenue directly into their communities.

The debate concerning the state budget deficit shouldn't be framed in dollars and cents. It should be talked about in the context of human lives. At the state level, as we work to address the current crisis, we need to prioritize providing basic needs to those most in need.

Last biennium, the state received $15 million in federal stimulus funds that helped quell the huge caseloads brought on by the recession. This year that money is gone, yet we're going to need every penny of it to maintain basic services for individuals and families around the state. The Legislature must also extend the document recording fee that goes to support housing.

Regionally: The city of Portland and Multnomah County currently spend tens of millions of dollars on homeless services and affordable housing, while the rest of the metro region spends only a small fraction of that amount.

Regional government leaders have to do more than understand and talk about the housing crisis. It can't be left for the private market to resolve. Suburban homelessness is no longer a projection on a spreadsheet about the future. It's a reality that's getting worse by the day.

Housing should be a key component in any urban planning, including transportation and sustainability efforts, yet it's too often shuttled off to the side.

Metro has to play a key role in bringing local governments and other stakeholders to the table to craft a strategic partnership to tackle the problem of homelessness and affordable housing. After such a move, local city governments need to answer the call.

Portland and Multnomah County: Housing deserves to be on the ballot. In order to create a fair playing field for both working and poor people, we need to be looking at alternative revenue streams for housing.

This means being able to vote on a bond or a levy that will give Multnomah County the ability to adequately fund homeless services and housing in the absence of state and federal leadership.

It would also serve the region to have a point person to lobby for and coordinate the many complexities involving housing legislation at the state and federal levels. A direct line of both education and communication among city, regional, state and federal governments is badly needed.

Public-private partnerships and the community: Multnomah County has a tremendous amount to be proud of on this front. Whether it's New Seasons and Travel Portland raising funds for local homeless organizations or the millions of dollars given by local foundations, hospitals and universities, it's clear the private sector cares. From churches and neighborhood associations to public employees, from local newspapers to individuals who support the many nonprofits that work to end homelessness every day, many are making a difference.

These partnerships are a bright spot and a perfect place to organize any number of the recommendations here. It's clear our region cares about the issue of homelessness and housing. Now, it's time to do something about it.